On Saturday the Red Sox bats were largely held at bay, this time by one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Masahiro Tanaka entered the matchup with the Red Sox leading the majors in Wins Above Replacement (4.1), third in ERA (2.11) and among the top 10 in almost every other pitching category.

But Jon Lester played his part as ace, too.

Tanaka and Lester battled through eight innings, allowing one run each (Lester's unearned) before Mike Napoli's two-out, ninth-inning homer off Tanaka saved the fledgling Red Sox with a 2-1 victory to even the series.

Boston had lost six of its last eight entering Saturday.

Lester threw eight complete innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits and two walks while striking out six. He threw 118 pitches, 74 for strikes and had seven swings-and-misses (four on his curveball). It marked the fourth straight start in which Lester allowed two runs or fewer.

"We needed that win and I'm glad we got him the win because he pitched phenomenally," said David Ross. "Two pitchers going at it."

After Ross staked the Red Sox to a 1-0 lead on a solo homer off Tanaka in the third, the Yankees clawed back in the bottom of the inning.

Brian Roberts reached on an error from shortstop Stephen Drew and then Lester hit nine-hole hitter Yangervis Solarte. Brett Gardner sacrificed the runners to second and Derek Jeter grounded out to score Roberts and tie the game. But Lester got out of the inning without further damage when Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second.

"The one thing you’ve seen over time is Jon’s maturity and to stay in the moment and make key pitches with men in scoring position," said manager John Farrell. "That was the case in the third and that was the case with first and second one out situation in the middle innings and again in the eighth."

Despite allowing the unearned run in the third, Lester threw five no-hit innings to start the game. A Gardner single to lead off the sixth broke up the unorthodox no-hitter. But Gardner was erased trying to steal second when Ross threw him out. Jeter and Ellsbury followed with back-to-back singles, but Lester managed to work around the two on, one-out situation with a fly out to right and a strikeout of Carlos Beltran on his curveball.

Lester came out for the eighth having thrown 100 pitches and worked out of a jam thanks to a magnificent double play from Pedroia. Gardner worked an eight-pitch walk off Lester, but Lester got Jeter to ground out to Pedroia who gloved it on the back-hand and flipped to Drew to get Gardner at second before firing to first for the double play.

"He fell behind Jeter, still made quality pitches to get to the 2-1, 3-1 count and without trying to do anything extra he locates a good fastball down and away, Pedey makes a great play on the front end of the double play and it was a turning point," said Farrell. "Rather than it being first, second, nobody out, we’re in a two-out, nobody on situation. I thought Jon pitched very well tonight."

The play saved Lester's line as Ellsbury singled in his next at-bat. But Lester got Mark Teixeira looking for his sixth strikeout to end the eighth and preserve the tie. Napoli rewarded Lester with the homer in the top of the ninth.

Tanaka threw nine innings, allowing the two solo homers on seven hits while walking one and striking out eight. It was the third start this season for Tanaka in which he'd allowed two home runs. The Red Sox were able to capitalize on his few mistakes and a win for the third time in his last four starts.

"We rely on those guys (Lester) heavily especially when we're not swinging the bats like we want to," said Ross. "A guy goes out and does that performance and you get a win. You get a loss out of a performance like that and it can be a big swing in the negative way. Luckily we got that positive swing and a good feeling and hopefully we can carry this into tomorrow."